


Losing Control, Finding a Home

by eyeless_soul



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-12
Updated: 2015-07-07
Packaged: 2018-02-17 04:03:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 11,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2295893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eyeless_soul/pseuds/eyeless_soul
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This was a story that I am writing by the request of my friend Elemental_sorceress1. The original idea she gave me was this:</p>
<p>Loki was being controlled by the Tesseract during the events if the movie, he was vulnerable due to his feelings of what happened in the movie Thor. The people that ordered the nuke, the WSC, wants Loki to be imprisoned even though he wasn't in control of his actions. And since The Avengers are already protecting Clint from the same thing, Steve volunteers to protect Loki, since Thor wouldn't be allowed to because he is biased.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Elemental_sorceress1](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elemental_sorceress1/gifts).



Loki sat in the holding cell of the great hall. He never thought that he would end up there. He knew that there would be consequences to his actions. He knew from the moment that he felt the Tesseract in his mind, taking over his body, using him as a pawn that his life was over. He knew for certain that once the Tesseract had everything that it wanted he would die. There had been a voice in his head; controlling him that he had been powerless to stop. He’d tried explaining that to Thor and Thor had just shaken his head.

 

Loki had begged Thor to listen to him and Thor hoping that it wasn’t another one of Loki’s tricks had. Once Thor began to really listen to what his brother was saying he realized that he was telling the truth. Loki had described his feelings of betrayal and desperation as he was thrown into the abyss, that he was prepared to die but just before he would have fallen, there was a strange voice and then he had been surrounded by a blue light. It felt cold and the blue light seemed to be everywhere, it went into his eyes, his ears, up his nose, the inside of his mouth, it invaded every pore of his skin. He could feel it, this blue energy, it was like electro shocks through his brain, seeping into his mind. It felt like someone had stuffed his head with cotton; it made everything feel distant and fuzzy.

 

It was almost like being part of an unknown audience, watching a play where he was the main character. He had no control over his body. He had no choice but to do as the Tesseract commanded, despite that most of the time it was doing precisely the opposite of what he wanted.

 

When Thor had first walked in, he had looked at him with nothing but sympathy and compassion. While Loki had been trying to explain to Thor what had happened, why he would put his brother’s friends and love interest at risk Thor listened patiently. Once Loki had finished his tale, much to his surprise Thor stayed silent. Loki had wanted to beg Thor to say something but he knew that to be unwise, with the way that Thor was looking at him, he knew that he was already on shaky ground. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath; he could feel Thor slipping through his fingers. He wanted to weep.

 

Thor had gripped Loki’s shoulder. “Be that as it may, that does not excuse what you have done. I knew something had changed within you and I had hoped that you were not too far gone. Then there was that moment, when we both stood atop Tony’s tower, after the Chitauri had slipped through the portal before you had stabbed me; when we were both looking at the chaos and for a moment I saw a glimmer of fear and despair on your face. I knew then that it was not too late but you still must answer for the crimes you have committed. When Father calls you into the Judgement Hall I shall go with you. I may not understand your motives but you are still my brother, I will not let him sentence you to death.”

 

Thank you Thor.” Loki bowed his head in a sign of gratitude.

 

“Do not thank me yet, for I do not know if I will be successful but I will try.” Thor had sat beside his brother to wait; all the while hoped that this was not a trick. It seemed like an eternity for both brothers but finally Loki was called into the Judgment Hall. As was the Asgardian custom, Loki clicked one heel against the other, and then folded his hands in front of him as he awaited his punishment.

 

Odin looked upon his son. “Loki, for your crimes against the human race and attempting to forge an alliance with the Chitauri and wage a war against an innocent race, the penalty is death.”

 

Loki bowed his head as he waited for Thor to interfere. For one terrifying moment he thought that Thor’s promise to plead with his father for leniency had been a joke, a final act of insult and cruelty. Not that Loki didn’t think that he didn’t deserve it but it would be dreadful to die alone.

 

Thor stood behind Loki, placing a hand on one of Loki’s thin shoulders. “Father, I beg of you and this court to show leniency upon Loki. He may be mischievous but he’s not a butcher of innocent people. At the time of the release of the Chitauri he was under the control of the Tesseract. His actions were not his own.”

 

Odin thought and considered all the possibilities. He loved Loki as a son, had raised him along side his own without a second thought. “Very well. But your sentence will not be served here but on Midgard.” Odin had stuck his staff towards Loki, “and do not tempt me by using your powers to cause harm to anyone. Do that and you’ll be brought here and put to death. Understand?”

 

Loki nodded his head in agreement. He didn’t trust his voice.

 

Thor offered Loki a small but sincere smile. He knew that Loki would not have such an easy time on Midgard but at least he was still alive. Loki was hauled to stand up straight and he was walked down to the bi-frost; he’d been surprised that Thor followed.

 

“I told Father I was going to Midgard to visit Lady Jane. It is a half truth. I am going to visit Lady Jane but before I do I want to ensure that my friends, The Avengers do not kill you the moment that they see you.”

 

Loki hugged his brother. “I know not how to express my gratitude.”

 

Thor put a brotherly kiss on the top of Loki’s head. “Promise me; give me your word that you will honour Father’s conditions. I was able to bargain for your life once, I am not certain I shall be able to do it again.”

 

Loki locked eyes with Thor. “I shall. I give thanks to you for all you have done for me and for accompanying me to Midgard.”

 

As they stepped on the platform Thor shook his head, “Think nothing of it, Brother.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor brings Loki to Midgard.

Tony, Natasha, Steve and Bruce all sat on one side of the room, Phil and Clint sat on another with Nick Fury standing between them. It had come to light that Phil was alive and although the team had been happy to see him; it was clear that for the time being something was strained between Clint and Phil.

 

Clint was sitting beside Phil on a couch, staring at his hands. His shoulders were hunched, he had refused to look up and he looked completely defeated. Phil had his arm around Clint’s shoulders, glaring at the people on the other side of the room; almost as if he was daring them to argue about Clint’s presence in the room.

 

Nick just shook his head at the group of disgruntled superheroes. “I find this ridiculous. You’re adults, get past this and get along. I have enough to deal with. The WSC wants to know who’s responsible for the deaths of over 80 people, they want someone held accountable. I have to try to convince-” Nick was cut off by a rumble of thunder and a flash of lightening.

 

“What the-” Was all that Steve managed to say before Thor was standing in the doorway. The way Thor was standing he was shielding Loki from their view, he knew that the reception wouldn’t be a welcoming one.

 

Steve broke the silence. “Thor? What are you doing here?”

 

Thor grabbed Loki’s hand, squeezed it gently before letting go and placing Loki in front of him. Loki closed his eyes against their hate-filled stares, he was fighting the urge to bow his head just so that he wouldn’t have to look at any of them and feel their hatred. He was forcing himself to stand tall like the royalty that he was, no matter how dire the situation seemed; he would not allow them to see a weakness.

 

Clint was seething with anger. “What is he doing here? He should be rotting in an Asguardian prison, isolated on a barren moon or dead.”

 

Thor put his hand up to silence Clint’s tirade. “Be careful how you proceed.” At the same time Phil had put his hand on Clint’s shoulder and squeezed gently prompting him to be quiet. “Loki is being punished; but not in the manner that you think. Odin, my Father has ruled that his sentence is to be served here, on Midgard.”

 

“Like hell.” Clint muttered, receiving a warning glare from Phil.

 

Steve ignored Clint’s comment. “’I’m sure that there is a perfectly good reason for Odin’s decision, right Thor?”

 

Thor nodded while crossing his arms over his chest. “Indeed. Just as your able bodied Archer had been under the control of the Tesseract so had my brother. My father felt it was a most fitting punishment, seeing as it was the humans he had sought to destroy and it was the humans who had suffered. My Father knows that it was not Loki’s fault, that he was not in control of his actions but he also knows that the damage that was done was severe and that punishment must be served. But I am fearful of what may happen to him if he is left unprotected.”

 

Tony looked up from his tablet, he opened his mouth as if to say something but Steve silenced him by placing a hand up.

 

“You have nothing to fear. I will watch over him. But if he lies or tries any of his usual tricks I will not be held responsible for what happens to him.” Steve replied.

 

Thor nodded. “He had already been warned by Father.”

 

Clint clicked his tongue. “Why don’t you watch him? He’s your brother.” His tone was dripping with anger.

 

“I cannot. My anger has clouded my mind, I love him but I cannot trust myself.” Thor pushed Loki ever so slightly towards Steve. “I entrust his safety unto you.” Thor clapped his hand on Loki’s shoulder, looking into his brother’s eyes for what he knew would be the last time. “Good bye Brother.”

 

Loki nodded; knowing he could not show how weak he really was. If he was to remain among people who hated him, distrusted him and wanted him dead; he would do so with dignity.

 

As Thor left, Loki turned to Steve, “What would you have me do now?”

 

Nick Fury looked at both men. “The WSC will want to talk to him. I’ll go set up a meeting.”

 

Steve nodded. “Good. Until then he can stay with me.” Steve stood at his full height, daring anyone to say anything.

 

Tony stood next to Nick. “I have a room in the tower that has a walk-in closet that leads to another room. The two of you can share that space.”

 

“Thank you.” Was Loki’s response. Tony just hoped that he was doing the right thing. Tony walked out with mostly everyone following. Soon Loki and Steve were the only two left in the room.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki, Clint, Phil, Steve and Nick have a meeting with the World Security Council.

Nick Fury stood in front of the blinking monitors. The WSC had agreed to meet with himself, Loki, Clint, Steve and Phil. He knew that this wasn’t going to end well but at the same time, the sooner they got this done, the sooner they could put everything behind them. So now the five of them were standing in the small meeting room while one by one the blinking screens stabilized and filled with a face.

            

Clint kept his eyes straight ahead but he was not focusing on anything. Phil was standing behind him, both of his hands firmly planted on the archer’s shoulders. Loki was standing next to Clint, his gaze straight ahead, focused on a crack on the wall behind one of the screens. Steve was standing behind him, his arms folded across his chest. Nick was standing in front of them all, staring at the screens; he was clearly pissed off.

 

In the middle screen there was a blond woman in a business suit, who in Clint’s opinion looked like a total bitch. She was staring right at Clint; he was mentally picturing what she would look like with an arrow protruding from her forehead.

 

"I understand that you believe that these two men were under some form of mind control. But that hardly brings any closure or sense of justice to the families of the victims. It is the suggestion of this council that both Agent Clinton Francis Barton and the creature known as Loki should be imprisoned in the isolation cells within SHIELD headquarters. There they will not be able to harm anyone.” She clicked her pen as she spoke; Clint wanted to stab her with it.

 

Phil felt Clint tense. Clint wasn’t letting anything show on his face but he was terrified. He knew what happened when you were put there. You were locked in a room, with no way of communication and very few visitors. The only regular visitors you received were the guards that brought your meals three times a day, and you were stripped of all SHIELD technology. For Clint this would mean being deaf for hell knew how long. SHIELD had very strict protocols when it came to visitors; it could be months before they allowed someone to bring his spare hearing aids.

 

Loki didn’t say anything. He didn’t particularly care for being called a creature but he supposed it would do.

 

Nick Fury tightened his shoulders, glaring at the council. “There is no way that I’m going to allow that to happen. Agent Barton is one of the best snipers we have; and I don’t think that Thor would take too kindly to us throwing his brother in a hole.”

 

The man to the far left spoke. “We can’t have them running loose. Clint is a trained killer and Loki has already demonstrated the kind of violence, destruction and chaos that he is capable of.”

 

Steve straightened his stance; even Fury thought that the man looked intimidating. “They aren’t going to be a threat. Thor has placed Loki’s well-being in my hands and I’ll be damned if I am going to fail at that because of you.” The blond woman in the middle opened her mouth as if to interrupt, “Please let me finish ma’am. And if you think for a minute that Phil is going to let you just seal his fiancé in a room and leave him there, you have another thing coming.”

 

Phil could feel Clint relax. He gently rubbed Clint’s shoulders. They were usually very quiet about their relationship; Clint was uncomfortable with most forms of physical affection. The explanation for that came early on in their relationship: even before the circus, as a child, most of the time when his father touched him it was to hurt him (and this carried on to almost every important male in his life). So he learned it was easier and safer to avoid all forms of physical contact.

 

Phil, on the other hand was a tactile person. He needed to touch you and he needed to be touched. He needed to know that for all his rigid control, you were still there when everything went dark. Phil was snapped back into reality as he heard Fury clear his throat, clearly irritated with whatever had transpired within the room while Phil had been in his head.

 

A middle-aged General had furrowed his brow. “The council has a lot to discuss; we’ll reconvene in a day or two. In the meantime Agent Coulson and Captain Rogers will be taking full responsibility for the two in question. Any trouble that they cause will be on your hands. Understand?”

 

Steve nodded curtly. “Yes Sir.”

 

Phil just replied, “Yes General.” And then the screens went blank.

 

Fury turned to the four men. “That could have gone better.”

 

Clint sagged against Phil’s chest visibly exhausted. Loki just closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose. He couldn’t remember the last time that he had been this tired; he wasn’t even sure what was keeping him awake.

 

Fury seemed to pick up on all of that. “Look, they seem exhausted. Go home and get some sleep, there isn’t much that can be done right now anyway.”

 

Phil nodded and steered Clint to the door by his shoulders. Loki turned as if to walk when he suddenly just crumpled to the ground; although he never actually hit the ground because Steve had caught him.

 

Nick seemed overly concerned (for being Fury). “Get him to bed.”

 

“Yes Sir.” Was all that Steve said as he picked Loki up, one hand under his neck, the other under his knees. As Steve walked outside he was slightly concerned with how light Loki was. While buckling him into the backseat he made a mental note that when Loki woke up they were going to have to talk.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Loki talk.

Loki awoke on a bed, one which he recognized immediately. He was in his room in the tower. He sat up slowly and blinked to try and kick his sleep fogged brain into gear. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed as he took in the room. It was true that he’d been there the other night but he’d been so tired that he’d fallen asleep without taking the time to look.

 

The room was simply but elegantly decorated. The walls were a dark green with golden leaves around the top, just below the ceiling. The curtains had the same pattern. The sheets on the bed were dark green silk as were the pillow cases. The comforter was the same dark green but instead of gold trim it had white. The bed was solid oak and big enough to hold four gown men. Instead of the traditional head and foot boards, there were tall bed posts with vines carved all the way up them.

 

There was a dresser made of the same oak as the bed. A bookcase with a few books and a vanity. The vanity was black and on its surface was a hairbrush, a comb and a pack of green elastics.

 

Loki shook his head, obviously amused. He couldn’t recall if the room had looked like that on the first night; but he doubted it. He’d just managed to stand when there was a light knock on his door.

 

“Come.” He sat back on the bed, hit with a sudden wave of dizziness. He was surprised to see Steve Rogers standing in his doorway.

 

“I just wanted to make sure that you were alright. Last night, at the meeting you had fainted.”

 

Loki offered his own smile. “Jumping from one world to another is not as easy as Thor would have you believe. It can take a lot out of you.”

 

Steve offered his own smile, while shoving his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “Are you okay now?”

 

Loki stood up but didn’t make a move to walk towards the other man. “Yes, I’m fine. I’m not as fragile as you would like to think. I’ve been in worse shape.”

 

“Why don’t you come downstairs and join us for a late breakfast?” Steve looked hopeful.

 

“I don’t think that is wise. I know that I’m not liked very much. They don’t trust me and I am certain that I’m not wanted here. I’m only here because Stark is afraid of what my brother would do to him if I am hurt. I’m not saying that these feelings aren’t warranted.”

 

Steve stepped closer to Loki. “Everyone makes mistakes. I didn’t decide to stick up for you because I was afraid of Thor. I did it because I saw the fear and remorse in your eyes. As long as I am here, no one is going to hurt you and no one is going to throw you in a cell to rot. I will protect you and I will keep you safe.”

 

Loki wanted to hug him; he would do anything to feel safe but he forced himself to stay put. “Why? You hate bullies and I was most definitely a bully.”

 

Steve shook his head. He needed to make Loki understand. “Look. For starters, I know that you were being controlled by the Tesseract. It wasn’t really you. If I’m going to condemn you then I might as well so the same to Clint; if I did that Phil would have my ass. He may idolize me but he loves Clint and would do anything to protect him. And everyone deserves a second chance. “

 

Loki studied his hands willing his voice not to shake. “You seriously think that? Even after everything that has happened?”

 

Steve put both of his hands on Loki’s shoulders. He had to resist the urge to cup his face or thread his fingers through Loki’s thick, black hair. He shook his head, trying to clear the invisible fog. He had no idea where his feelings for Loki came from or that he could have feelings for Loki but he needed them to stop. He knew that he needed to protect him but he couldn’t let it go further than that.

 

“Loki, what happened was not your fault. For me to hold you responsible would be like, us hold Clint responsible. The sooner you accept that no one is blaming you, at least no one in the tower; the sooner your own healing process can start.”

 

Loki was still staring at his hands, not willing himself to meet Steve’s gaze. He wanted to believe that Steve believed what he was saying but he’d seen the anger in Clint’s eyes when he’d first walked into the tower.

 

Steve sighed. He needed for Loki to believe him. He put his hand under Loki’s chin. “Look at me.”

 

Loki lifted his head and slowly dragged his eyes up to Steve’s face.

 

“Do I look like I’m lying to you?” Loki shook his head. “Do you think that I would go through all of this just to humour you?” Again Loki shook his head. “I promised your brother that I would look after you and that is exactly what I’m going to do.”

 

Loki pushed himself forward, wrapping his arms around Steve’s waist as he laid his head on his shoulder. “Thank you.” He took a deep breath, letting it out shakily as the tears that he’d been holding back, slowly made their way down his face.

 

Steve said nothing. He just gently rubbed Loki’s back as he wondered how anyone couldn’t believe him. He was obviously remorseful. Steve figured it was punishment enough that he’d been banished from his home. “Why not come down and have something to eat?”

Loki let go of Steve. “I’m not really hungry.”

 

Steve just shook his head. “You have to eat. You don’t have to talk to anyone and if anyone says anything to you, I’ll handle it.” Steve held out his hand. “Please?”

 

Loki took Steve’s hand. “Okay.”

 

Together they walked down the hall to the elevator. Steve had a feeling that meal time would be interesting to say the least.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers have coffee together and talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After a hectic work schedule...I am back. I hope that you enjoy the chapter.

Tony, Bruce, Natasha, Clint and Phil were all sitting in the kitchen. The silence was almost deafening. Tony was never one for nasty confrontations but he hated when the room was full of people and no one was talking. It reminded him too much of what life had been like living with his parents.

 

He put his mug of coffee down, just a touch too loudly. “Come on people, this is ridiculous.”

 

Suddenly everyone was staring at him. “What is?” Natasha implored. She was used to having to ask Stark what he was talking about; although she had her suspicions that this was probably about Loki.

 

Tony pushed his chair back from the table. Clint groaned and pretended to turn down his hearing aids. Tony looked instantly insulted. “What?”

 

Clint stared right at him. “You’re going to make a speech aren’t you?”

 

Tony put his hands on his hips, “No.”

 

Phil nodded and he absent-mindedly played with the little hairs on the back of Clint’s neck. Clint sighed, leaning into the touch as much as he could.

 

Bruce nodded at Tony, while cleaning his glasses. “Yes you are. So you might as well get on with it.”

 

Tony stared right at Bruce. “You know, sometimes I hate how easily you can read my mind.”

 

Bruce smiled, “I know.”

 

Tony leaned against the counter. “I just think that this is ridiculous. I know that Loki being here is less than desirable, but Thor clearly believes that his brother is innocent.”

 

Natasha shook her head. “Loki’s known for pulling tricks. So if he’s not, he’s managed to get Steve roped into whatever scheme he’s planning.”

 

Clint stared at her. I don’t like him much either but I think that to assume right off the bat that he’s lying is a real shit-tastic way of doing things, We know that the Tesseract has a way of controlling your mind. What if he is telling the truth?”

 

Natasha stared at Clint. “Do you believe that? Do you honestly believe that he was just a pawn?”

 

Clint took a steady breath through his nose, clearly hurt and angry. “I was.”

All the talking stopped as Steve walked into the room with Loki. Loki wasn’t stupid, he knew that they had been discussing him, he almost turned around and headed back upstairs. However, the grip that Steve had on his shoulders prevented him from doing anything but what Steve wanted.

 

Steve steered him towards an empty chair, pulled it out and waited for him to sit. As soon as he sat, Steve was rubbing his shoulders. As he rubbed harder Loki felt all the tension leave his body. He took a deep breath to keep himself from moaning as Steve’s hands worked all the tension out of his shoulders.

 

Phil grabbed Clint’s hand under the table and squeezed it. He knew how uncomfortable Clint was whenever Loki was in the room but he also knew that with Loki living in the tower it was something that Clint was going to have to get used to.

 

Tony quietly watched the people that he’d been working with and calling his family for the past couple of months. There was a time when he thought that the life he had with Pepper was all that he could ask for. And now he couldn’t imagine his life without them. He bit his bottom lip and tried to take a deep breath. The gravity of the situation just hit him. There was a tightness in his chest and for one terrifying moment he thought that he was having another heart attack.

 

Bruce had been talking to Steve when both of them stopped mid-sentence and looked at Tony. He was pale, his whole body seemed to shake and he was sliding down the counter until he landed on the floor, with his knees against his chest. Bruce walked over to him, kneeling down so that he was at eye level. “Tony.”

 

“I am afraid that Mr. Stark is having a panic attack.” JARVIS assisted.

 

Bruce sat next to Tony and pushed Tony’s arms out of the way, spreading his knees and gently leaning forward. Bruce knew that panic attacks were a total bitch to deal with. He gently started tapping Tony’s shoulder; it was a quiet, steady rhythm. He didn’t say anything as Tony’s breathing slowed, matching his rhythm.

 

Everyone including Loki just stared at the pair on the floor.

 

“What was that about?” Clint asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

Tony took another deep breath, nodding at Bruce. “It just hit me; the council wants to destroy my family.” He fisted his hands in his hair as the first tear made its way down his face.

 

Loki could feel Steve’s grip tighten, almost to the point of causing pain, on his shoulders. Steve stood at his full height. “There’s no way that is going to happen.”

 

Phil nodded still holding Clint’s hand.

 

Nick Fury walked into the room; a grave expression on his face. “There’s another meeting scheduled for tomorrow.”

 

Clint leaned on Phil, all the colour draining from his face. “When will this ever end?”

 

Loki sighed. “When I’m dead.”

 

The room was shocked into silence.


	6. Chapter 6

Steve loosened the pressure that he’d put on Loki’s shoulders. Steve was glaring at Fury even though he knew that this wasn’t strictly Fury’s fault. Nick was just the messenger; Steve had a sneaky suspicion that if it was up to Fury they wouldn’t be getting dragged back.

            Steve sighed as Phil stood so that he was as close to eye level with Fury as he could get. “What time?”

            “10 am.”

            Steve scowled. “They realize that both Phil and I are going to be there. I will not have them intimidating Clint or Loki.”

            Fury nodded. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

* * *

            Clint sat in the room that he and Phil shared. Phil stood in the doorway as he watched his fiancée. He smiled to himself as he thought of the angry, mal-nutritioned man that he’d met eight years ago and the well-tuned archer that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. They had been through so much together and it angered him to think that someone was trying to take that away from him; again.

            Clint’s posture straightened as he realized that he was being watched and instantly relaxed again hen Phil sat beside him. Clint reached over to grab the hearing aids that he’d just taken out and placed on the bedside table but Phil stopped him. Phil had grabbed both of his hands and shook his head. Phil knew how much Clint hated them, how he viewed them as a reminder of a weakness he had that was evr present and beyond his control.

            With Clint’s hands still being held by Phil he was unable to communicate but he wasn’t scared or frustrated by this restriction. Phil guided them both so that he was lying on his back and Clint’s head was on his shoulder, with his hand over his heart, he could feel the steady beat under his fingers. Clint closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and trying to remain calm. It wasn’t Phil that was making him anxious; it was the possibility that all of this, everything that he’d worked so hard for, could be snuffed out tomorrow.

            Phil gently rubbed Clint’s back, and didn’t move. He knew that he had to remain rational and logical; even as he felt the material of his shirt became wet with Clint’s silent tears.

* * *

            Loki walked into his bedroom, closed the door and began stripping off his clothing. He knew that what he needed more than anything was a hot bath but he’d settle for a shower. He walked to the bathroom naked; leaving his clothes on the floor.

            As he turned on the water and stepped under the spray of the hot water, he tried to imagine what his life was going to be like. As he was contemplating life in a steel box, the spray of the hot water hit his sore, tense muscles; relaxing them much the same way Steve had. He was leaning into the spray of water and moaning before he even realized what he was doing.

            He quickly washed up and shut the water off. He was grateful that the tiled floor was heated and that the towels were warm. He wrapped himself in his robe and walked into the bedroom. He was surprised to find Steve waiting in his room looking nervous and out of place.

            Loki made sure his robe was securely tied shut; he attempted to appear unphased at the sudden appearance of Captain Rogers. “Rogers.”

            Steve felt completely ridiculous. While he’d been in his own room, he’d been so sure of what he’d say, of how this whole thing would play out but now that he was here he felt unsure. He was going through every plausible excuse he could use for being there, he was jerked out of his thoughts by a pale, cold hand on the side of his face. Steve felt as though he couldn’t breathe, his heart rate was up and his palms felt sweaty. He took a deep breath through his nose.

            “Hi. I just…” Steve cleared his throat and tried again. “I just wanted to make sure that you were alright, I also wanted to make sure that you had everything that you needed.”

            Loki nodded. “Thank you Captain Rogers. That was very kind of you.”

            Steve put his larger hand over top of Loki’s, which was still on his face. “In light of the situation, perhaps you could call me Steve.” As he spoke he had to stop himself from nuzzling into Loki’s touch.

            Loki smiled. He never would have pegged Steve as touch starved. Although now that he thought about it, it made sense. Steve Rogers was Captain America, the living legend, worshipped, revered and basically untouchable. People often forgot that he was still just a man and that he had needs. He filed that information away, after all one never knew when it would become useful.

            Loki withdrew his hand. “We have an early morning tomorrow. I’m quite certain it will be an emotional one, so I think that perhaps I will turn in.”

            Steve nodded. “I will see you tomorrow, Loki.” As he left he knew he was in trouble. Instead of going into his room he headed down the hall, he knew he needed to talk to someone. The only person he could think of that would understand and not make sun of him was Tony.

            He stood outside the genius’ door, trying to work up the nerve to knock.


	7. Chapter 7

            Tony was sitting on his bed, staring at the schematics for the newest upgrades to his Iron Man suit, that were being displayed on the wall. Something was going on, something terrible and he was trying to distract himself with work. It had always worked when he was upset or angry. The loud knock on the door had startled him as he was torn from his thoughts.

            “Come in.” His tone was harsh; a lot harsher than he’d meant it to be. But he was angry and frustrated. He took a deep breath to calm himself down. They were all angry about what the council was implying. He knew that was no reason for him to take it out on an innocent person. He was surprised when the door opened and Steve was standing in the doorway. He was looking at Tony, with his shoulders hunched and his hands jammed into his pockets. “Captain, what’s up?” Tony stopped fiddling with the stylus in his hand.

            Steve shrugged part of him could see himself just saying that he wanted to make sure that Tony was okay, but the more mature part of him knew that that wasn’t an option; he had to talk to someone. “I was wondering if you had a minute?”

            Tony smiled. “Of course.” He patted the empty spot on the bed. “Please sit.”

            Steve felt a little weird sitting on the bed beside Tony. He could remember talking with Howard in much the same way. It was hard to believe that this grown man was the same child he’d seen in the few home videos that Tony owned. If Howard were still alive or if Steve could somehow go back in time, he’d tell Howard not to be so hard on the child; for all of his faults Tony had turned into a fine man. Tony waited patiently for Steve to start.

“You know how I’m looking after Loki? Making sure that he stays out of trouble?”

Tony only nodded, not completely understanding where Steve was going with this. His mind was buzzing with questions but he knew that Steve would tell him when he was ready.

“Well lately I’ve been re-examining the reasons as to why I was so quick to jump to his defence. Why I was so ready to protect him from the Council and anyone else who would hurt him. I know that this is wrong, and I’m not entirely sure why I feel this way but I think that I’m falling in love with him.

For a long time Tony didn’t say anything, now he nodded his head in understanding. He was surprised and he knew that he had to be careful about how he phrased things; Steve still had this habit of taking things too literally. Tony smiled gently at Steve as he put his arm around the other man. “It’s really, very simple. You hate bullies; the Council is really just being a bully when it comes to Loki and Clint. And there’s nothing wrong with what you are feeling. It’s normal.”

Steve closed his eyes. In all of the conversations that he imagined having with Tony, this wasn’t one of them. “So what do you think I should do?”

“I can’t really answer that. If it were me, I would talk to Loki; see if he feels the same way.” Tony squeezed Steve’s shoulder.

Steve looked at Tony. Tony could read the fear in his eyes. “What do I do if he feels the same way?” Steve ran a hand through his hair. “And if he doesn’t, will he still trust me to protect him?”

Tony shook his head. “I wish I had the answers for you Cap.”

“Why is this so complicated?” Rogers put his head in his hands.

Tony rubbed his back. “If it were easy, it wouldn’t be worth doing."


	8. Chapter 8

            Their Monday morning meeting was one of the most ridiculous and humiliating things that Clint and Loki had been forced to endure. The council questioned them separately; trying to determine if they had been controlled and manipulated by the Tesseract as they claimed or if it was all a lie.

            Clint was getting frustrated. He was being asked the same questions over and over. He just wanted this to end. He wanted to be at home, in the strong, safe arms of his fiancée.

            Loki, on the other hand lacked the rigid control and the respect that Clint had for the combined authority for the people in the room. When they pressed Loki for details that he didn’t have, he would just repeat the same thing. “I am Loki, of Asgard and I have tod you all I know.”

            When Loki’s interrogation stretched into its fourth hour Steve had had enough. He knew that the Council had its right to protect the earth against alien threats, but it seemed clear to him that Loki was innocent of his crimes and that their tactic was getting them nowhere. Finally Steve stormed into the room; he was going to stop this.

            Loki was in the middle of the room. Two of the council members were yelling at him and he had completely shut down. He wasn’t looking at the monitors; he was sitting crossed-legged on the floor, his hair covering most of his face as he blocked them out. All the yelling stopped as soon as Steve had entered the room.

            “Captain Rogers, how dare you interfere.” Said a general.

            “No offense General but this is ridiculous. How long are going to try to get information out of either man when it is clear that there isn’t anything more that they can tell you?” Rogers stood at his full height, arm crossed as he glared at the monitors. “This has gone on long enough.”

            “Get me Director Fury. This is far from over Captain.”

            Loki smiled at Steve, he’d almost forgotten what it was like to have someone believe you and be willing to defend you. It was nice. Loki hauled himself onto his feet, as Steve put an arm around his shoulders (the weight was oddly comforting; reminding him of when he and Thor were children or even teenagers, the way Thor would often protect him. He didn’t even bother wiping away the tear that made its way down his cheek.

            Steve guided him down the hallway and into a waiting room of sorts. Director Fury, Clint and Phil were there as well. Clint had his head on Phil’s shoulder as Phil flipped through a magazine. No one looked up as they entered. Steve cleared his throat. “Director? The Council would like to talk to you.”

            Fury raised his eyebrow. “Me?”

            Steve smirked. He knew that Fury didn’t like what the council was doing anymore than the rest of the team did. “I guess their interrogations aren’t going quite as well as they planned.”

            Nick shook his head. He’d tried to tell the council that they were wasting their time, but they’d insisted that there had to be more to it then there actually was. He turned so that he was facing Phil. “I want you and Steve to take the boys home. I think that if Clint gets asked one more question someone is going to end up dead.”

            Phil nodded, “good idea.”

            Fury stayed in the room long enough for the four to leave. Then he walked into the room where the council was; fully ready to defend the decision that Rogers made.

            The General seemed to be trying to stare Fury down. If there was one thing that Fury had perfected over the years, since the loss of his eye, it was the hard stare that made the Rookie SHIELD agents stop dead in their tracks. “Is there something that you would like to say General?”

            “I hope that you plan on reprimanding Captain Rogers for interfering with matters that don’t concern him.”

            “I’m sorry?”

            “He stormed in here, interrupting an interrogation. If he hadn’t come in who knows what Loki might have confessed to.” The General all but yelled.

            Fury shook his head. “You still don’t get it, do you? There’s nothing that has to be confessed to. He wasn’t acting under his own conscious will.”

            “You can’t seriously believe that.”

            “Yes I can and I do. Clint Barton was under the same influence. I know that Barton wouldn’t have willingly shot people he knew, people he worked with or caused damage to the Hellicarrier.”

            The General rolled his eyes. “I can’t believe that you--”

            “Let me finish. SHIELD has been the only stable, safe home that Clint has ever known. We have been the only people to invest time and money into him, without expecting him to pay for it. I will defend the actions of Phil Coulson , Clint Barton, Steve Rogers and even Loki.”

            For a moment the silence from the room was deafening. “The Council will be in contact with you once we have reached a decision on how the situation should be dealt with. “

            Fury just shook his head and walked out of the room.


	9. Chapter 9

Both Steve and Phil brought Loki and Clint home. Phil was worried; it wasn’t like Clint to be so quiet. Phil looked at Steve who was staring, almost lost, out the window. He knew that Steve was just as worried about the outcome as he was, as they all were.

Phil glanced at Loki. The man who had nearly killed him looked so lost. It was almost as if someone had sucked all the confidence out of him. He was sitting slouched, with his hands in his lap and his head against the window, his eyes looked moist and he could tell that if he were to close his eyes he would release the tears that were waiting.

Lastly Phil gazed at Clint, his fiancée. He had his eyes closed as he rested lightly  against Phil’s shoulder. His left hand was in his lap as the right hand had its finger intertwined with Phil’s. His brows were creased together as he dreamed. Phil felt his  heart swell; they had been through so much together and had come out on top. This was just one more hurdle. He had almost lost Clint once; he wasn’t going to let some stupid council keep them apart. He’d already decided that once this was over, he and Clint were going to set a date. He wanted Clint to be Mr. Phil Coulson by the end of the year; no more stalling.

The car pulled up to the tower and everyone went in. Once inside, despite Bruce’s and Tony’s questions both couples went to their rooms.

Loki went into his room and sat on his bed. This was ridiculous and it was dragging on for far longer then it needed to. Part of him just wished that Fury had let them imprison him, at least he would know his fate and it would be done with. He put his head in his hands, he wanted to scream or cry. He was so upset with the way that things were going that he never heard Steve come in,

For a few minutes Steve just stood in the doorway, watching Loki. He was about to just turn around and walk away when Loki threaded his long fingers through his dark hair and screamed. Steve walked completely into the room and sat beside him on the bed. He wanted to say something but everything that he came up with would have sounded incredibly lame had he said then out loud. In the end he settled for saying nothing and just rubbed Loki’s back. He didn’t know what sort of reaction he was hoping to get but he was surprised when Loki rested his head against Steve’s shoulder. For a long time they just sat there, Steve thought that perhaps Loki had fallen asleep.

Loki sighed. “When will be this be over?”

Steve shrugged. “It has to end soon. There are only so many times that they can cover the same ground.”

Loki sighed again. “I’m just tired. I’m tired of the constant questions, tired of being dragged back to that room and being made to feel like I’m guilty of being made to feel weak and stupid because they want details that I have no hope of giving.”

Steve tilted Loki’s head up. “It’ll be over before you know it.”

Loki licked his lips. “Can you stay with me tonight?”

Steve smiled gently. “Of course.” Steve had expected Loki to smile or mutter his gratitude, what he hadn’t expected was for him to throw himself into Steve’s chest. Steve wrapped his arms around the smaller man, trying to make him feel as safe as possible.

Meanwhile, Phil had gently waked Clint up and walked the still slightly sleeping man to their room. Clint moaned softly as Phil laid him on the bed, carefully removing his shoes, socks, jeans, belt and t-shirt. He pulled the blanket up to his chest. He kissed Clint’s forehead, placing one of his hands on Clint’s chest; signing the same word over and over again as he carefully removed Clint’s hearing aids.

Clint had been calm and almost back asleep when he felt a hand on his cheat. He could have opened his eyes, knew that he probably should have but he was too tired. He knew who was undressing him, he knew the feel of Phil’s hands, could smell his cologne. And despite that when Phil took his hearing aids out, his breathing hitched. He hated not being able to hear but he knew that he was safe. He took a steadying breath. He knew that Phil was signing the word ‘safe’ onto his chest. It was something that they did every time that Phil had removed his hearing aids. He relaxed a little more; letting Phil take care of him.

Phil gently rubbed Clint’s stomach, and then he tapped the man’s bicep. Clint opened his eyes and smiled as Phil signed *I love you*. Clint signed back *I love you too*. Phil cupped Clint’s cheek and kissed him softly; Clint smiled and sank lower into the softness of the bed.

Phil lay beside Clint, holding the other man as Clint nuzzled into his neck and finally settled. There were things he wanted to discuss but it was clear that no further talking was going to happen. Phil let himself drift to sleep, his fiancée securely in his arms.


	10. Chapter 10

            Loki awake, blinking the sun out of his eyes. He wasn’t sure what time it was but he knew, from the brightness of the sun that morning had passed. He closed his eyes and let himself relax completely against Steve’s chest. He felt Steve mumble incoherently in his hair as he held Loki closer.

            He wanted to stay where he was forever. He wanted the council to go away, but he knew that wasn’t going to happen, he knew that they would be calling Fury soon to say that they had reached a decision. He knew that the best outcome that he could hope for was a swift punishment. He felt Steve’s breathing change and he knew that the super soldier was awake. Loki turned in Steve’s arms so that they were facing each other.

            Steve moved so that he wasn’t holding Loki any longer. His face flushed with embarrassment. He had wanted to hide his feelings, keep them secret and yet while he slept he’d let the cat out of the bag by holding Loki while they slept.

            Loki bit his bottom lip. He’s wanted to wait until the council had made its decision, until he was certain of his fate but now he realized that he had to know. He couldn’t wait any longer. “Steve, can I ask you something?”

            Steve felt lost in Loki’s eyes. “Of course. You know that you can ask me anything.”

            Loki ran his hand through his hair. “It’s not so much asking you something as it is telling you something. And I want to do this before I lose my nerve. So don’t interrupt me, don’t speak until I have finished. At first I thought my feelings for you were just from the gratitude I felt from the fact that you were willing to protect me. But as time went on I have realized that it’s more than that. Am I grateful to you and your courage? Of course. But I have loved before. Been in love before,” Loki took a deep breath. If his words failed him or if Steve did not return his affections he didn’t know what he would do. “What I’m trying to say is that I am in love with you.”

            Steve took both of Loki’s hands into his own. “I know how you feel. I’ve been struggling with the same feelings. I was trying to figure out how to tell you without coming across as desperate. I want you to know that no matter how this plays out; I will be here for you. If you do end up imprisoned, I will find a way to visit you. I want to be with you.”

            Loki smiled as he leaned forward to place a kiss on Steve’s mouth. The kiss was soft, gentle and lazy. It wasn’t the rush of feelings and desire that Loki had in his heart. He knew that he would have to take his time with Steve; to rush it would probably end in disaster for them both.

            Steve was the first to pull back and initially Loki thought that he’d done something wrong. “What is it?”

            Steve smiled. “Nothing, not really anyway. I just want to make sure that this is something that we both want. I’ve never been with a woman or a man before. And I think that before we go any further we wait until the council has made its decision. That way if this is something that we both want, we will have all the time in the world and nothing to worry about.”

            Loki stared into Steve’s blue eyes and felt like he could drown in them. “I’ll wait for you as long as I have to.”

            Steve smiled at Loki. Loki laced his slim fingers with the Captains and was content to let the other man hold him again. As he leaned against Steve’s solid form he felt as if for the first time everything would be alright.  


	11. Chapter 11

Clint was standing in the room with all of the monitors. There was a guard at the door and the motherfucker was smiling at him. Then Director Fury came in, his one eye staring at Clint and seething with hatred. Fury held out his hand and with shaking fingers Clint removed and handed him his hearing aids. He felt a tap on his shoulder, as his eyes stung with unshed tears.

He turned to see who'd tapped him, to discover Phil was standing there, looking amazing in a finely tailored black suit. His eyes were sad and he had something in his hand. Phil tapped the back of Clint's hand, Clint turned his hand, palm up and Phil had placed the simple silver band that Clint had given him in his palm. Clint was shaking his head in disbelief. After everything that they'd been through, he couldn't believe that Phil was just walking out on him.

As Phil stepped back, disappearing into the shadows, Natasha came up and handcuffed his hands behind his back. As he looked into her eyes he tried to find something other than hatred, her glare was cold. At that moment Clint knew that he was on his own. He wanted to yell, to scream and all he could do was stand there. The silence in his ears was deafening (he never realized how used to hearing he had gotten), he couldn't think and as he felt his knees start to buckle he did nothing to stop himself from falling.

Phil woke up with a feeling of panic as his fiancee was screaming in bed beside him. He gently tapped a steady rhythm on Clint's arm. It was just Phil's way of letting Clint know that he wasn't stuck in his nightmare but also so that he would know that he was safe.

Clint opened his eyes, knuckles turning white as he bunched the sheet tightly in his fists. He took a deep breath, unclenching his fists and with shaky fingers he touched Phil's face. In his own mind this was to ensure that Phil was real. He opened his palm and Phil placed his hearing aids in it.

Phil wondered what could have scared Clint so badly. He knew that his fiancee's life had been no picnic but he hadn't seen Clint this rattled in a long time. Once Clint's hearing aids were in, Phil held Clint's face gently in his hands, looking into his eyes. Phil smiled as Clint pushed into his touch, leaning forward and pressing their foreheads together. “I love you so much. After all this is done I think we should get married immediately. I don't want to waste another second; I want you by my side, forever.”

Clint smiled. Things had always been so easy with Phil. “Absolutely.” He tried to play it off as being confident but the truth was he was scared; he was worried that this would be the last time that he'd get to lay with Phil, touch him without the scrutiny of the cameras or people watching. He stared into Phil's eyes as the older man held him close. Clint wanted to commit every tiny detail to memory. That way if things did go horribly wrong and he was locked away he'd have something to think on, a fond memory to return to.

 


	12. Chapter 12

 

The next morning everyone in the tower was up, dressed and in the kitchen drinking coffee. Clint and Phil were sitting across from each other, seemingly just to stare. But Natasha, who sat beside Clint, knew better. She knew that Clint and Phil had perfected their communication techniques over the years to glances, blinks and touches. Steve and Loki sat side by side, Loki's head resting on Steve's shoulder. Bruce was sitting beside Steve. Tony was the only one not sitting, Tony was the only one not drinking coffee. He was pacing the kitchen. Tony was also the only one to jump when JARVIS spoke.

“Sir, Director Fury of SHIELD is at the door.”

Tony all but ran down the hallway to answer the door, even though Fury had yet to knock.

Fury raised his eyebrow as he had his hand up to knock only to find that the door was already open and Tony was on the other side looking impatient. “Stark.”

“Fury.”

“Are you going to invite me in?”

After Tony just stood there for a moment, Steve yelled from the kitchen, “Let him in Tony!”

Tony waved his hand dismissively, “you might as well come in.”

As Fury followed Tony inside he muttered, “Great idea.” Both Tony and Fury walked into the kitchen, Tony stood by the coffee maker, leaning against the counter his arms crossed against his chest. Fury stayed in the doorway seeming to survey the crowd of people.

Coulson started to let go of Clint's hand but Clint tightened his grip, silent panic slicing through his chest making his eyes widen. Coulson squeezed gently, entwining their fingers. This was his way of saying that one way or another everything was going to be fine.

Fury was the one to break the silence. “The Council says that it has reached a decision and that it wants to see everyone as soon as possible.”

Steve nodded, his hands tight but reassuring on Loki's shoulders. He was pretty sure he knew what the council had decided but he also knew that if it was a decision he wasn't prepared to live with he would argue with the council. He knew that Tony would do the same thing as this was his family and Phil wasn't going to just stand by and let them take his fiancee. “Alright everybody. Let's go.”

 

The drive was silent and the entrance was somber. Fury walked in first and stood in front. Phil walked in with Clint on his right, with Natasha standing beside Clint, then Steve with Loki in front of him with Tony standing beside Loki. Bruce was standing in the back of the room by the door. If things got heated and he needed to leave in order to cool down, that was the best place for him.

Fury was staring at the council coldly. “Has the council made its decision?” His voice was even and his tone was harsh.

“Yes. After much discussion and debate the council has decided a few things. The first being that Barton will no longer be a member of SHIELD. The second being that both Barton and Loki will be allowed to remain out of isolation as long as they are micro chipped so their locations will be known at all times and as long as their handlers agree to watch over them and be responsible for them should either of them do anything dangerous.”

Fury rolled his shoulders. “No offense but Agent Barton is one of the best snipers that we have. He is skilled with a multitude of weapons not to mention hand to hand combat; to lose him now would put SHIELD at a very distressing disadvantage. Especially after all the hard work, time and money that went into making him a finely tuned machine.”

Phil felt Clint stiffen under his hands but he also knew why Fury was saying what he was. Clint had worked very hard at being the best sniper that SHIELD had (this was after they'd managed to get through the layers and layers of bullshit) and if Clint was not permitted to do what they trained him to do, he would become depressed and they would risk all of his old feelings of uselessness and self hatred surfacing again. That was not something that any member of the team wanted to deal with.

The wall of monitors was silent. They had obviously been given something to think about, they seemed to all reach the same conclusion. The blond woman in the middle spoke. “Fine. He can stay as part of SHIELD however, there will be no solo missions and every move he makes will be watched. If he steps even a toe out of line, disciplinary action will be swift and severe.”

Fury nodded. “Agent Coulson?”

Coulson gave off no emotion. He knew that this wasn't what Barton had in mind. He knew that Barton would feel caged but given the circumstances it was the best that they could do. “I accept full responsibility for Agent Barton.”

“Captain?” Fury had no doubts that Coulson would have accepted any and all terms that the council dished out, provided that he and Barton stayed together. But as far as he knew Steve had no such attachment to Loki. Fury waited patiently for Steve's answer.

Steve spoke up. “I accept all terms and conditions. I will be responsible for Loki from here on in.”

Fury turned his attention back to the Council. “Is the Council satisfied?” Before anyone could respond, a man walked in the room. He was at least 6 feet tall and he was easily double Clint's size. Clint stood his ground but Loki shrank back against Steve. “What is this?” Fury all but yelled; barely remaining composed as he stared coldly into the screen.

The blond woman responded, “The council had said that they could remain free provided they were micro chipped. He's here to micro chip them.”

Clint offered his arm to the behemoth of a man. The man grinned at him as he jabbed the needle into the vein of his arm. Clint's facial expression didn't change, his breathing and heart rate remained the same as well. He was not going to give this man the satisfaction of knowing that he'd hurt him. As the man approached Loki, Steve shot him a warning glare. “I understand that you have a job to do but I'm warning you; if you hurt him unnecessarily you will need medical attention.”

Fury stepped in; knowing that if he didn't things were going to get out of hand. He had no doubt that Steve would hurt the man. “Captain.”

Steve turned his gaze towards Fury. “I'm sorry Director but I don't like bullies of any kind.”

“I know.” Fury nodded to the man with the needle.

The man approached Loki who shrank back, unintentionally against Steve. Steve put a hand in the middle of Loki's back, in what he hoped was a reassuring gesture. Loki rolled up his sleeve, offering his arm to the menacing looking man. The man slid the needle into his arm under Steve's careful watch.

The man smirked. “The council is a lot kinder to you then I would be. If it were up to me you'd be left to rot.”

Fury turned his attention to the man. “I think you've said enough, you need to leave.” The man grunted but he left the room. He knew all about Director Fury and seeing as he didn't have a death wish he did as the man ordered. Fury turned his attention back to the monitors. “Is the council satisfied?”

The woman who Clint had mentally named “the bitchy blonde” spoke, “Well there is one small matter of restitution.”

Bruce couldn't take it any longer. He stood up, “What could you want now? Isn't the fact that Clint risked his life for the safety of the city enough? Isn't the fact that Loki came back and has endured your harassment enough? You've made their lives a living hell, when will you quit?” Bruce took a deep breath; to unleash the 'other guy' now was not going to be good for anyone.

The people on the monitors were silent. Tony pushed away from the wall that he'd been leaning on and walked over to Bruce. His eyes had just a hint of green around the edges. Tony put his hand gently on Bruce's shoulder. “Bruce, these people are idiots; but that's no reason to lose your cool. They aren't worth it.”

Bruce took another deep breath, he knew that Tony was right but that didn't mean that he was any less angry. Tony turned so that Bruce was facing him and all the council could see was Tony's back. He pulled Bruce close to him, placing Bruce's hand on his chest so he could feel the calm, steady beat of his heart. Bruce knew what Tony was trying to tell him. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and pulled himself as close to Tony as he could. He kept breathing, narrowing his world down to just Tony, the way his skin smelled, the slight hum from the arc reactor, Tony's own body heat and the steady beat of his heart.

A few eye brows were raised but mostly they were ignored. The blonde woman continued speaking as if Bruce hadn't said anything. “Loki and Agent Barton will be expected to make restitution for their crimes by way of a televised public apology. Once that is completed, the council will be satisfied.”

Tony guided Bruce out of the room. As Clint, Phil, Steve and Loki walked out of the room, Fury glared at the screens. “For the Council's sake I sincerely hope that after this you leave them alone.” Before they could say anything Fury left the room.

 


	13. The final chapter

The group got back to the tower just before dark. They hadn’t expected the tower to be so quiet; most of the lights were lowered to twenty percent and there was soft music coming from Tony’s room.

Natasha just shook her head. She had known for quite awhile that Tony was interested in Bruce and on more than just a scientific level. When she had worked for Tony, her and Pepper had gotten close. Pepper had always suspected that Tony was into men as well as women; it wasn’t like him to limit himself in anything. Natasha just thought it was interesting that out of all the men he could have chosen; he chose Bruce. 

As everyone headed to their rooms, Loki let out an audible sigh. Steve stopped walking, terrified that Loki had changed his mind. He couldn't bare this thought even though they had held hands all through the car ride. But he knew that no matter what he was determined to be Loki's friend, even if that was all that Loki wanted. Without even thinking about it, Steve had let go of Loki's hand.

Phil smirked. “Well now that’s over, I think that Clint and I are going to bed; right sweetheart? After all, when we get up we have a wedding to start planning.”

Clint nodded. He wasn’t really all that tired but perhaps he could coax Phil into some really good ‘I’m-still-glad-that-you’re-here’ sex.

Loki’s dark brows furrowed in confusion. “Are you okay Steve?”

Steve smiled, “of course.”

Loki was skeptical; after all Steve had let go of his hand. “Then why did you stop walking? Why did you let go of my hand?”

“I wanted to ask you something before we go any further. Are you happy?”

Loki stood up to his full height, grabbed both of Steve’s hands with his own and kissed him. “I’m happier then I’ve been in a long time.” Without letting Steve answer or change his mind Loki pulled him into his bedroom and closed the door.

 

 

 

 


End file.
